Six Graduates Arrested In Maharashtra For Involvement In Illegal Arms Trade

(MENAFN- IANS) Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra), Oct 25 (IANS) In another incident of educated individuals indulging in criminal activities coming to light, six youths were arrested from Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for their alleged involvement in illegal arms trade despite being graduates, officials said on Sunday.

In an operation conducted by a team of the CIDCO Police Station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the six youths were taken into custody, and four firearms along with 11 live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

The police personnel were left surprised that some of the arrested individuals have earned degrees such as B.Sc., B.Com., and BCS and instead of pursuing better career opportunities after completing their education, they were allegedly involved in the illegal arms business. The matter is now under further investigation.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone-2, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnakar Navle, the Detection Branch of CIDCO Police Station carried out an overnight operation leading to the arrest of the six accused.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the weapons were being brought in from Madhya Pradesh and supplied to various locations across the city. Police suspect that an organised syndicate may be operating behind the network.

Police sources revealed that the accused were reportedly earning around Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 per weapon sold. However, investigators are still examining where the weapons were procured, who the buyers were, and who else may have been involved in the network.

It has also emerged during the investigation that two of the six arrested individuals had previously been booked in cases related to assault and violence.

All six accused were produced before a court, which granted the police four days of custody for further investigation. Investigators are now probing the source of the weapons, the supply chain, and the role of other individuals connected to the accused.

The exact extent of the accused persons' involvement and the true nature of the network will become clear only after the police investigation is completed.

The case raises concerns regarding the involvement of educated youths in criminal activities such as arms trafficking.

Following the alleged murder of Ketan Agarwal at Pune's Lohagad Fort in June, purportedly by his fiancee Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had underlined the need to introspect why educated youth are increasingly developing a "vengeful and distorted mindset".

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